Former Scotland manager Gordon Strachan has claimed that the reason he didn’t attend Rangers games at Ibrox was because he was “wary” of receiving abuse as a former Celtic manager.

Strachan was recently sacked as Scotland boss after again failing to lead the Tartan Army to a major final – extending their absence to 22 years – and has been criticised previously for the lack of games in Scotland he personally attended to run the rule of prospective internationals call-ups.

The former Scotland boss managed Celtic between 2005 and 2009 – and was the Hoops boss who signed current Ibrox striker Kenny Miller – and had a spell with Middlesbrough before taking the reins of the national team.

Strachan admits that he didn’t think anything untoward would have happened but confessed to being “a little bit wary” of the risk.

“I didn’t go to Rangers games that much but that was because I was scared in case anything untoward happened,” Strachan said, as quoted by the Daily Record.

“I’m sure it wouldn’t have but, being the ex-Celtic manager, I was always a wee bit wary.

“It was nothing to do with the hospitality from the club, it was in case I was walking across the road, somebody says something and I nark back at them.

“I didn’t want to be in anyone’s face.”

The 60-year-old won three Scottish titles, one Scottish Cup and Two Scottish League Cups in his time as Celtic manager and led the Hoops to the last 16 of the Champions League.

Much of Strachan’s time in charge of the national team coincided with Rangers being in the lower divisions of the Scottish League and only Lee Wallace, Kenny Miller, Barrie McKay and Ian Black were named in a Scotland squad by Strachan while at Rangers.